On 26 September, the German and Russian foreign ministers met at the UN, their first such talks since before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The event is discussed factually and neutrally; dialogue does not itself resolve the war or erase responsibility. Through a philosophical Feng Shui lens, consider blocked and reopened flow, clear boundaries, and the difference between contact and harmony. What can a narrow diplomatic channel realistically accomplish? Which boundaries must remain explicit? How can discussion avoid false equivalence while reducing misunderstanding?
United Nations headquarters — illustrative image, not a photograph of the meeting. Photo: Nils Huenerfuerst / Unsplash License.